The Psychology of your 20s

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Latest Episodes:

417. The pressure to be extraordinary in our 20s May 14, 2026

Show notes

In our 20s, we can feel intense pressure to be extraordinary, to stand head and shoulders above the pack, to thrive across all aspects of our life. But when we put pressure on ourselves to be extraordinary, we can fall victim to social comparison, lose sight of what we really want, and experience long-term feelings of inadequacy. In this episode, unpack where the pressure to be extraordinary comes from, and reframe our thinking towards a healthier, more balanced approach.

We explore:
• How social media creates an ‘artificial average’, making us feel inadequate
• Why being gifted as a child can lead to burnout as an adult
• The myth of linear success, and why taking a scenic route is just as worthy
• Why learned helplessness can make us stop trying at all
• How we can expand our definition of being ‘extraordinary’ into many areas
• Why our relationships, not our work achievements, are the biggest predictor of long-term happiness

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

Our favourite sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/nov/05/under-pressure-why-athletes-choke

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KkKuTCFvzI

https://paulasanderson.com/2020/12/04/30-under-30-and-the-pressure-to-be-extraordinary/

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist.

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416. The surprising neuroscience behind your anxiety May 11, 2026

Show notes

Anxiety has a way of making ordinary moments feel life-or-death. A simple interaction can feel significant, a passing thought can spiral into catastrophe, and your body can react as if something is deeply wrong - even when rationally you know you’re probably okay. In this episode, we get into the neuroscience behind anxiety - why your brain becomes obsessed with certain thoughts, why false alarms feel so convincing, and what actually helps when you want to feel less trapped inside your own mind.

We explore:
• Why anxiety feels so intense and urgent
• Our physical and emotional reactions to anxiety
• The role of GABA and glutamate in anxiety
• Why trying to ‘stop thinking about it’ doesn’t work
• How avoidance perpetuates the anxious cycle
• Practical ways for living with an anxious brain

Happy listening!

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

Our favourite sources:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9559819/

https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn2555

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-022-01332-2

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S027273580000057X

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415. The psychology of dopamine May 09, 2026

Show notes

Most people would know the term: dopamine. It's the world's most famous neurotransmitter, known for it's role in happiness and pleasure. What if I told you, most of us have it all wrong. In today's episode we break down the secret history and psychology of dopamine, including:

The controversy around it's discovery
How it became known as the 'pleasure' hormone
Why that's actually not true
It's true role in movement, motivation and memory
Myth-busting dopamine detoxes plus so much more

Happy listening!

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

414. How to get out of a funk May 07, 2026

Show notes

When we’re ‘in a funk’, we might feel that things just aren’t going right for us, we can’t catch a break, and that life generally feels pretty flat. What’s more, we can tend to look at the world through a negative lens - which makes things worse.

In this episode, we look at why we get stuck in a funk, how our approach to fix it can lead us astray, and how we can get ourselves out of one by honouring our soul needs, reconnecting with nature, and more.

We unpack:
• The key differences between being in a funk and clinical depression
• Why monotony and boredom keep us stuck
• The danger of telling yourself to just ‘snap out of it’
• The importance of honouring our ‘soul needs’
• What we can do to rewire our brain towards a brighter future

Happy listening!

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

413. You're not for everyone? GOOD! May 04, 2026

Show notes

It’s easy to believe that being liked by as many people as possible is a positive attribute. But when we chase this, we risk compromising our sense of identity, alienating ourselves from others, and being confused and burnt out by a string of inauthentic connections. In this episode, we examine what drives us to people please, acknowledge our need for human connection, and learn to recognise how to shift unhealthy patterns towards healthier, self-soothing ones.

We explore:
• What drives our need to belong
• The science behind why others don’t think about us as much as we imagine
• Why being a social chameleon can make others distrust you
• Why constant social monitoring is a waste of mental energy
• How we can reframe our thinking to recognise if we truly like someone, rather than just enjoy being liked

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

Our favourite sources:
https://unwantedlife.me/the-spotlight-effect-and-social-anxiety-all-eyes-on-me

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/when-kids-call-the-shots/201702/how-wanting-to-be-liked-gets-you-rejected

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8405711/

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412. Does your frontal lobe ACTUALLY develop at 25? May 02, 2026

Show notes

Where did this myth that our frontal lobe develops at 25 actually come from? What does the death penalty and Leonardo DiCaprio have in common? You've probably seen TikToks, videos, tweets, memes, but what is the truth about brain maturity? That is what we're breaking down today, including:

Why brain development is a lot more complicated than a number
The specific role of the frontal lobe
The early 2000s research that defined how we see brain development
Why our brain actually develops in spurts
The good news for 20 somethings

Happy listening!

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

411. Growing up online, early fame and rediscovering your creativity ft. Arden Rose Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

TW: this episode includes discussions of eating disorders.

What happens when millions of people watch you grow up online? How do you navigate change, love and making mistakes in front of a massive audience? And how do you rediscover your creativity after creating content about your life, becomes your job? In today's episode we talk to one of the original YouTube 'it-girls', Arden Rose, about early fame, body image, art and her life lessons as she enters her 30s. We discuss:

How making YouTube videos at 14 turned into a full-time job
The dark side of Hollywood and the entertainment industry
The biggest opportunity she missed out on...and why
Veganism, diet culture and self-esteem
The path back to creativity
Her greatest pieces of advice for people in their 20s
PLUS SO MUCH MORE

Happy listening!

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Arden here: @ardenrose

Watch her YouTube HERE

More links below (sorry)

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

410. Why does everyone have a diagnosis these days? Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

Why does it suddenly feel like everyone has a diagnosis? From ADHD and autism to anxiety, trauma, burnout, and depression - mental health language is everywhere right now. But are rates actually rising? Or are more people finally being seen after years of being overlooked, misread, or excluded from the stereotype? In this episode, we unpack the psychology, politics, and culture of diagnosis: how diagnostic criteria have changed, why context matters, what social media has done to this conversation, and the tension between labels as affirming, or oversimplified.

We explore:
• What the data actually says about rising diagnosis rates
• Why historically missed groups are being recognised more now
• The role of context in shaping our experiences
• The risk of pathologising ordinary human struggle
• When scepticism is useful - and why it should be aimed at systems, not individuals
• Why a label can still be meaningful, helpful, and nobody else’s business

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

Our favourite sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7422602/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4810039/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11747871/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10251666/
https://reference-global.com/article/10.58734/plc-2025-0009

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409. How to manage your anxiety about the future Apr 23, 2026

Show notes

It can feel like the world - and our future - has never been more precarious or frightening. It’s a very normal response to feel anxious about it - and in many ways, being concerned is just a sign that you’re alive, switched on, and care about the what’s going on around you. But what happens when this anxiety becomes overwhelming, and we’re consumed by worry about the future? In this episode, we unpack:

• Why we’re prone to anticipatory anxiety in our 20s
• The evolutionary reasons for catastrophic thinking
• Why long-term anxiety rewires our brain
• When it’s healthy - and not healthy - to worry
• How to rebrand anxiety as excitement

Happy listening!

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

Or favourite sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3086262/#:~:text=For%20some%20individuals%2C%20uncertainty%20about,%2C%20&%20Camerer%2C%202005

https://theconversation.com/how-chronic-stress-changes-the-brain-and-what-you-can-do-to-reverse-the-damage-133194

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24364682/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

408. Are our phones killing intimacy? Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

It’s not a hot take to say that most of us are incredibly addicted to our phones. But when our usage bleeds into full-blown ‘technoference’ - technology interference - there can be significant, harmful consequences. In this episode, we explore how phones can harm our friendships and romantic relationships, including:

• How phones are replacing in-person interaction
• Why we can't help but be addicted
• The impact of 'phone snubbing' on our loved ones
• How phones are killing our sex lives
• The ways we can break our habits and find our way back to intimacy

Happy listening!

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

Our favourite sources from this episode:
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jan/31/age-of-intimacy-famine-interact-with-phones-rather-than-loved-ones
www.ericpickersgill.com/Removed
https://www.sellcell.com/blog/phone-addiction-statistics-watch-out-your-phone-addiction-is-making-your-dating-sex-life-toxic/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.